Checked the big box a dozen times, if something like the pedals are missing, one is going to make real sure they are not in the box or fell out on opening etc. The box the bike comes in had no holes so one has to presume that this smaller box never was included at the time of packaging. And yes I agree about the SRAM/Shimano compatability, one being 1:1 and the other 1:2 ratio, looks like my solution will not work, hope the mech can untwist the SRAM rear derailer, just called him, it will shift up but is jerky when shifting down, so getting close. It remains to be said that one should not need to go through this when buying from a company.

Nice advice, however brought it for family member visiting on Tuesday as an xmas present. If LBS cannot fix it by then will have to return it at some point (if they BD will accept the return) and buy another another, before Tuesday, so family member does not go back home with broken bike attached to the roof of their car. Read online reviews of BD, and they were so-so, I took the gamble on buying from them, my reponsibility for making the wrong call. Would have saved all the aggravation if went to LBS in first place, would have been worth the $ difference.

Thanks for the advice on the cables, called the guy, he said they were super clean, he had already checked them.

No... a similarly speced bike would have cost you about 600 plus tax rather than 350. That's in USD. Go ahead an get some Jagwire cables, X5 shifters, derailers and crank and you'll probably still have some money left, and you can sell the replaced parts as brand new take offs.

Great advice, thanks a lot.Just added it up, I still come out ahead, mechanic says can get parts tomorrow, bike will be ready Monday. Having said all this, purchased a new Ford this year, new PC, new tablet, new wife (oh she wasn't purchased) and all worked perfectly from day one, and continue to do so (wife gets better). Anyway, you saved the day, LBS should have thought of your ideas.

You could ask BD to pay for the labor, but I really suggest that you ask BD to do something about it first, they seemed pretty responsive to me.
The pedals and QRs than come with the bike are crap anyway, and so is the X4 derailer (well, if you're gonna be riding srsly), so hey, good job!
And you don't need reflectors.

Since we started this read, X5 has been ordered, not sure what pedals the BS put on. Will try and BD to pay, away tomorrow so no time to deal with emails, will go through the refund bit when next week.

I have heard very little negative comment on BD or the bikes. And I have to add the delay in response is not uncommon these days. There is always a lag time with e mails and parts can and do end up missing right from the manufacturer.

This is true apparently with BD in your case and I know it happens with at least 3 other "Big Name" bike dealer bike lines....and it happens a lot. Any bike shop owner will confirm this. If they won't they are either lucky or lying. One of my bikes, arrived at the dealership missing some rather important parts.

BTW, this also happens with musical instruments when buying direct.

When an item is a dealer offered item, the dealer has time to assemble, look over, set up, tweak...whatever the item. It is then offered for sale as new.

When your bike is sent to your living room and parts are missing, and you're not a bike mechanic or don't have a drawer full of parts...well it can be a problem.

The dealer is taking care of the issue for you, on your dime. No slam on said dealer, in fact good on them. But, as you see, a business model like BD allows a ton of upgrade room and you are still well below the cost of a comparable bike from a dealer showroom.

Imagine for a second how many bikes BD sells...then imagine that even with an acceptable failure / mistake rate how few are actually problematic? And imagine further how many BD customers have a bike shop set up the bike for them? All things considered it is a still a good bike, a good business and the value remains high.

I hope all works out in the time allotted and give BD a chance to make things right, though sending a box of parts to a bike that has already been upgraded seems like a waste of time at this point...

BTW, I saw 3 different Motobecane bikes last weekend...2 complete and one frame. All seemed high enough quality, looked and felt every bit as good as any other "Big Name" bike I tried.

Remember when we were kids and our Mom's said we could not play in the mud? I'm making up for it now!!

Ok, this is my review of the Motobecane Elite Trail. I bought this bike to be my daily commuter machine at the end of august, and by now its pretty beat up. I'm not sure how often you guys use them, but ive put 400 miles on it through daily commutes. Heres the verdict:

headset disintegrating
RD is useless
rear wheel is horrific, it was not de-tensioned from BD so now its falling apart.

I guess I could just fix these things and wait for the next thing, but i'm just scrapping it and getting a better SS bike for bulletproof commuting.

My suggestion:
If you are buying this bike for recreation or fitness, you will probably enjoy it for a year or two before anything breaks. If you plan on riding it everyday as a car replacement, don't expect it to last long. Spend the extra and get a lighter/better version.

Thank you Irish ExPat, being and EnglishExPat, I like the support. I hear all the support for BD and all the 'this is what you should expect', but I run a company and if I let my products go out the door with missing parts, stuff not tested I would 1) be embarrased 2) be worried about the reputation of my company. I have to presume the owner of BD does not have the same conscience.

I'm not completely sure about how BD works, but I'll take a guess.
BD hosts a website, which allows people to view and order bikes. It also tells a factory how to paint and put together bikes to their specification.
The independent factory does the rest.
BD receives the bike in Texas and ships them from there.
Dunno about intl orders.
BD isn't entirely responsible for missing parts or lemons. The independent factory is.
But I could Be mistaken.

That's a joke.
They don't own any brands because there are no brands to own.
They might as well have put the BD logo on all their bikes. Its just that the "brands" are easier to advertise and brag about. All those names were once very big bike companies that went belly up. BD took advantage. Except Gravity. They made that one up (afaik).
They don't check the bikes in Texas, I think. Or else the bikes would be more expensive, take longer to ship, etc. Plus, the bike comes in a stapled box, which indicates factory direct, unopened. It isn't taped. Lastly, they say they can't modify your order for you. They would be able to do that if there was a checkpoint in TX.

That's a joke.
They don't own any brands because there are no brands to own.
They might as well have put the BD logo on all their bikes. Its just that the "brands" are easier to advertise and brag about. All those names were once very big bike companies that went belly up. BD took advantage. Except Gravity. They made that one up (afaik).

I'm not sure what you mean....there are brands to own.....and BikesDirect owns them.

They don't check the bikes in Texas, I think. Or else the bikes would be more expensive, take longer to ship, etc. Plus, the bike comes in a stapled box, which indicates factory direct, unopened. It isn't taped. Lastly, they say they can't modify your order for you. They would be able to do that if there was a checkpoint in TX.

Even still....these factories are making the bikes specifically for BIkesDirect....so BD is responsible for the contents regardless of whether or not they are checked in texas.

So i was just downstairs dis-assembling the elite trail before i get rid of it. RD is more mangled than i thought once I took it off. Also, chain was rusty, along with rust forming on the crankset. after 4 months, with indoor storage, and only a few days of rain.

Like I said previously, I'm not out to destroy BD (and i couldnt, anyway). I just want to let people know that they aren't for intense prolonged use (at least the lower-echelon models), and even if you think of them as a good deal (and they are, to some extent), there will inevitably be subsequent purchases to repair/replace/adjust the parts.

Does the term "factory direct" mean anything to you?
While BD should be responsible for erring by the factory (it is), it can't control what rolls out of Taiwan.
And you can't blame BD for the deterioration of your components, which are made by third parties. Pay 350 for a bike at an LBS and see what you'll get.

Does the term "factory direct" mean anything to you?
While BD should be responsible for erring by the factory (it is), it can't control what rolls out of Taiwan.
And you can't blame BD for the deterioration of your components, which are made by third parties. Pay 350 for a bike at an LBS and see what you'll get.

Bikes Direct should be held accountable for whatever of their product comes out of Taiwan, every other company is. They spec them, they sign off on them, so they should be responsible for the contents of the box as long as their name is on it. Just because they cornered the market on entry level doesn't mean they get held to a lower standard. Business is business no matter the price point.

That 350 dollar bike on BD is marketed as a 700 dollar bike on sale. And they say to compare it to the giant roam. My buddy bought one for school at the same time I got mine. His is perfect. So....yeah.

And, I'm not angry at BD because the components failed, but BD did outfit the bike with those components, and they definitely did not hold up. Either way, it's not BD's 'fault' the components failed, but it's not comparable to the giant roam. It's comparable to another 350 dollar bike.

cyclocross?

Sauprankul, you mentioned in an earlier post, "If you want a heavy commuter that can take trails, get a fb roadie or a cyclocross". I've been seriously considering a cyclocross bike. The Fantom Cross CX looks mighty appealing. I want a bike that will grow with me.... right now I'm mostly interested in paved trails, but I would like to try out less groomed trails and light mountain biking with the same bike. Also, I like that that particular model is set up for front and rear racks and other accessories. I know nothing of specs and I'm assuming I should attempt a fit at a LBS. But just in case anyone has any advice regarding size, I am 5'8 with a 31 inch inseam.The only thing that really makes me nervous about buying that particular model is that it is more expensive than I had planned on (reviews i have read suggest I will wanna buy a new seat too)... and I have never had a drop down bar (my previous bikes have always been upright flat bar style). Any feedback would be appreciated!

Totally appreciate your dedication to this post; like you, I did my research and budgeted a certain amount for this bike purchase—and there's no bang for the buck like BD. I was originally going to go with the $419 Elite Adventure, as it does have the Suntour XCR crankset, and just upgrade the fork.

HOWEVER, after reading your posts, and considering it further, I'm going with the $349 Elite Trail X4 (SRAM set as opposed to Shimano). Reason: Frame, fork, brakes, seat, rims, tires, etc., etc., all the same.

So, for now, I'll save the $70 difference, ride the SRAMs til they fall off, then upgrade the whole drivetrain at some later point like I planned (fork, too). The basics are there to build this bike out to a reasonable level, as all the components can be had in one Amazon Prime shipment.

(A brief note: Motobecane of France filed for bankruptcy back in the 80's, and Yamaha bought the company, reformed it as MBK—keeping only motorscooter manufacture, so the bike name was up for grabs. Still, Motobecane USA meets an important market niche, and really nobody can touch them with the price point BD offers.)

Hi there. Just joined this group after seeing this thread. I am looking for a new MTB but I get conflicting advice from bike shops. I saw the Motobecane name and hence I am here. I am very tall and need a bike that can handle my size. 34-35" inseam and I weigh around 225. I don't do extreme off-roading anymore, but enough to warrant a MTB instead of a hybrid. Am I looking for a 24" frame or just XL? Does Motobecane have a model that will fit me?